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7.21.2008

advice, part 6: about changes to canadian immigration policy

Much to the disappointment and dismay of many people trying to emigrate to Canada, all immigration applications are now on hold.

The Harper Government introduced changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in March; through the support of the Liberals, Bill C-50 was approved by Parliament in June.

My earlier and more complete thoughts about these changes are here and here. If you're considering emigrating to Canada - or if you want to discuss the issue here - please do read those older posts. In this post, I wanted to re-visit the issue, link to the older entries and file the whole thing under "advice".

These changes in immigration are being blamed on the Conservatives, but as a minority government, the Tories couldn't have done it without the Liberals propping them up. The Conservatives shrewdly (and deviously, since there was no need for it) attached the immigration bill to a budget, daring the Liberals to trigger an election.

The spineless Liberals "weren't ready" for an election. And because the Dion Liberals apparently stand for nothing except election readiness, the budget passed. The Liberals did an excellent imitation of the Democrats: they made a small fuss, then voted yes.

Thus, any application submitted after February 27, 2008 is now on hold.

Going forward, anyone will still be able to apply, but CIC will no longer be required to process all new applications submitted on or after February 27, 2008. Applications not processed in a given year can be held for future consideration or returned with a full refund to the applicant, who will be welcome to reapply at another time.

One of the Conservatives' stated goals is to reduce the backlog of immigration applications, but it's difficult to see how one reduces a backlog by creating a larger backlog.

The Conservatives' changes will supposedly bring immigration more in line with the labour market. That in itself is not a bad idea. However, no one knows how this goal will be accomplished, since CIC Minister Diane Finley isn't saying.

The one thing we do know is that the system will become more subjective - that is, more political - and less objective.

As we speak, Minister Finley is engaged in a cross-Canada consultation tour, supposedly gathering information from the provinces about what industries and fields need immigrants. In typical Harper fashion, the consultation process is not open to the media or the public. The locations within each province aren't even announced!

This secrecy is both typical and disturbing. This very good story in the Embassy explains.

If the legislation passes, the amendments will mean the immigration minister can choose which applicants should be fast-tracked for citizenship through direct instruction to visa officers. The minister will also choose which applicants need not be processed because they do not support the immigration goals established by the government.

"The processing of applications and requests is to be conducted in a manner that, in the opinion of the Minister, will best support the attainment of the immigration goals established by the Government of Canada," the proposed legislation states.

But just how this ministerial opinion will be reached remains a cause for concern.

"It opens the minister to a tremendous amount of lobbying and it's all done behind closed doors," said Stephen Green, a Toronto immigration lawyer. "Who has access to the minister will have the access with respect to the forthcoming instructions because it's all behind closed doors."

According to a Citizenship and Immigration news release dated April 8, the priority occupations will be identified based on input from provinces and territories, the Bank of Canada, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, employers and organized labour.

CIC spokeswoman Karen Shadd-Evelyn said such consultations will not take place until after the legislation has passed, and that the department has not determined exactly how they will be conducted.

"The amendments have to pass before we undertake the consultations on the nature of the instructions, and in anticipation of that we're developing a consultation plan in co-ordination with the provinces and territories," Ms. Shadd-Evelyn said.

Questions about whether the consultation process would be on the public record and why the guiding principles are not stipulated within the legislation were not addressed.

After-the-Fact Instructions

Over the last several weeks, Immigration Minister Diane Finley has said the proposed process will be transparent because the instructions will be published in the government's newspaper, the Canada Gazette, as well as on the department's website and in its annual report to parliament.

But because the instructions are made public after the fact, Mr. Green said, this interrupts the parliamentary process.

"What we're saying is, let it be open, and if the Standing Committee [on Citizenship and Immigration] decides that this should be, then no problem, that's the parliamentary process," Mr. Green said. "[But the instructions] will only be provided after they've done this backdoor lobbying, it will be gazetted, but by then it's too late."

Robin Seligman, a Toronto immigration lawyer and former chair of the national immigration law section for the Canadian Bar Association, said that while the immigration system does need improvements, the proposed changes risk politicizing it and leaving it open to interest groups and third-party agendas.

"If it goes ahead, the system is totally open to lobbying," Ms. Seligman said. "It's open season for whatever groups feel like lobbying and saying 'We have a need, we have a pressure, please give us a priority.'"

Liberal Immigration critic Maurizio Bevilacqua said the bill has been a nightmare for all those who want to be involved in the process, and nobody knows what the next step is going to be or how they will be able to participate.

He said he has asked that the Commons' immigration committee study the immigration system as a whole and provide the minister with an alternative to the legislation she has proposed.

Mr. Bevilacqua said the government should want to avoid a situation where certain individuals will have access, and others will be shut out.

"That is the reason why I advocated and promoted the idea of having a open process where the citizenship and immigration committee will actually hear from people and offer a plan for the minister to follow that will actually reduce, largely reduce, the ability of specific groups to directly lobby the minister because she would be responding to our plan," Mr. Bevilacqua said.

In mid-May, the committee submitted a letter to the finance committee, which is studying the bill, recommending that the IRPA amendments be withdrawn entirely.

NDP Immigration critic Olivia Chow said the process introduced around the instructions is terrible.

"There's no set consultation period or process because when the Canada Gazette comes out, it's too late," she said. "So all consultations are done behind closed doors and not in public. Whatever the minister says could be changed in a drop of a dime."

If you've been effected by these changes, bear in mind that the Conservatives won't form the Government forever. I don't think they'll make it past an election this fall. Of course, that doesn't mean the Liberals will make undoing this immigration "reform" a priority. It could easily become the new normal.

One thing in our favour is that new Canadians vote. The Conservatives can appeal to the anti-immigrant crowd, but Liberals can appeal to immigrants themselves.

11 comments:

Excellent post and source of info on the new - I hesitate to call it - "process".

The secrecy and apparent one-hand-not-knowing-what-the-other-hand-is-doing atmosphere in the Minister's office is quite disturbing.

One point, though. Although One thing in our favour is that new Canadians vote is true, they can't vote for a minimum of 3 years after Permanent Residency and they gain Canadian citizenship. Let's hope the public comes to their senses and sends the Harper crowd packing way before that . . . .

they can't vote for a minimum of 3 years after Permanent Residency and they gain Canadian citizenship. Let's hope the public comes to their senses and sends the Harper crowd packing way before that . . . .

Ah, but I didn't mean Permanent Residents like us. We are not yet considered new Canadians, however much we may feel we are.

I meant "new Canadians", meaning new citizens. The hundreds of thousands - millions - of Canadian citizens who understand immigration because they were immigrants themselves not long ago.

They are eligible to vote and do vote, and I think they will not like these changes. I hope the Liberals appeal to them on that score.

Hmmm...I wonder how this affects provincial nominees? I see the CIC website has this information but I went to check the website for the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program, and it didn't look like they were addressing this issue.

Sheeyit. I got in 'by the skin of my teeth'--my application is dated Feb. 21.

I have been informed that any applicant with a job offer will not have a problem with this backlog--apparently they are going through the backlog to see which applicants have employment arranged. The people who will be affected are the ones who have not obtained a job prior to emigrating.

The lawyer then informed me that his company would no longer accept clients who did not have jobs prearranged...

Who benefits from this system? You can't get into Canada without proving you have means, or a job...am I right?

I have been informed that any applicant with a job offer will not have a problem with this backlog--apparently they are going through the backlog to see which applicants have employment arranged. The people who will be affected are the ones who have not obtained a job prior to emigrating.

The lawyer then informed me that his company would no longer accept clients who did not have jobs prearranged...

I know it may sound ridiculous to contradict something an immigration lawyer said, but in my experience, lawyers do what's best for them, and don't necessarily reflect the reality for most applicants.

For example, people write me all the time extremely nervous because immigration lawyers told them they'll have problems with the medical exam - thus they need the lawyer's representation. (These are people with all the usual health issues, like arthritis, diabetes, depression, hypertension, etc.) As we know, in reality, almost no one is rejected on medical grounds.

So I don't necessarily think it's true that those without arranged employment won't be allowed in. Nothing published by CIC says that, to my knowledge. If anyone knows otherwise, please do tell us!

If the new rules are supposedly to be in line with the labour market, and many people will need to be re-credentialed, how could that be so? I'm skeptical.

You can't get into Canada without proving you have means, or a job...am I right?

Yes, you are right. You have to show employability and either have funds or employment.

This is disgusting. How can the minority tail wag the dog like this? A majority government would take -- or at least, used to be taking -- it in the nards for something like this.

We NEED people. We're a rapidly-aging, geographically wide-spread nation of 33 million in a world of closing on 7 billion... a tiny fraction with over a fifth of the world's livable land and punching well above our weight in wealth and resources. WE NEED HUMAN BEINGS... to populate the land, envigorate our cities, enable our retirements, relieve at least some pressure on other population centres... This is Tory pandering to the worst instincts in our society. What the hell has happened to the Liberals I've voted for all my adult life? :(

Well, never fear, LG. No matter what happens with citizenship -- you've landed as an immigrant. If you never take it a step further -- by your choice, or their stupidity -- you've already secured yourself a place on the north shore of the Lakes. That said, should you want it, I wish you nothing but a clear path to your citizenship. Looking at the hoops that have to be jumped through to make it here, I can't in good conscience deny it to almost anyone... especially when I all I had to do to get it was pull air into my lungs.

What the hell has happened to the Liberals I've voted for all my adult life? :(

I can only hope they return.

Well, never fear, LG. No matter what happens with citizenship -- you've landed as an immigrant. If you never take it a step further -- by your choice, or their stupidity -- you've already secured yourself a place on the north shore of the Lakes. That said, should you want it, I wish you nothing but a clear path to your citizenship.

Thank you for that, my friend. I definitely want citizenship, and I don't anticipate having any problems getting it. I'm sure there are some extra hoops to jump through, but jump I will.

I'm concerned about the next wave who is trying to get in to this country. I hope a whole slew of irrational and bigoted obstacles are not thrown in their path.

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